Windows Character Mode Application 2
Using the Console: Program Examples
However, we will try all the given program examples which demonstrate how to use the console functions:
- Using the high-level input and output functions
- Reading and writing blocks of characters and attributes
- Reading input buffer events
- Clearing the screen
- Scrolling a screen buffer's window
- Scrolling a screen buffer's contents
- Registering a control handler function
Using the High-Level Input and Output Functions Example
The following example uses the high-level console I/O functions for console I/O. The example assumes that the default I/O modes are in effect initially for the first calls to the ReadFile() and WriteFile() functions. Then the input mode is changed to turn off line input mode and echo input mode for the second calls to ReadFile() and WriteFile(). The SetConsoleTextAttribute() function is used to set the colors in which subsequently written text will be displayed. Before exiting, the program restores the original console input mode and color attributes. The example's NewLine() function is used when line input mode is disabled. It handles carriage returns by moving the cursor position to the first cell of the next row. If the cursor is already in the last row of the console screen buffer, the contents of the console screen buffer are scrolled up one line.
Create a new empty Win32 console application project. Give a suitable project name and change the project location if needed.
Then, add the source file and give it a suitable name.
Next, add the following source code.
#include <windows.h>
// Prototypes
void NewLine(void);
void ScrollScreenBuffer(HANDLE, INT);
//Global variables
HANDLE hStdout, hStdin;
CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO csbiInfo;
int wmain(int argc, WCHAR **argv)
{
LPSTR lpszPrompt1 = Type a line of text and press Enter, or q to quit: ;
LPSTR lpszPrompt2 = Type q to quit: ;
CHAR chBuffer[256];
DWORD cRead, cWritten, fdwMode, fdwOldMode;
WORD wOldColorAttrs;
// Get handles to STDIN and STDOUT
hStdin = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE);
hStdout = GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE);
if (hStdin == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE || hStdout == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(GetStdHandle), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
// Save the current text colors
if (!GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hStdout, &csbiInfo))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
wOldColorAttrs = csbiInfo.wAttributes;
// Set the text attributes to draw red text on black background
if (!SetConsoleTextAttribute(hStdout, FOREGROUND_RED | FOREGROUND_INTENSITY))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(SetConsoleTextAttribute), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
// Write to STDOUT and read from STDIN by using the default
// modes. Input is echoed automatically, and ReadFile
// does not return until a carriage return is typed.
//
// The default input modes are line, processed, and echo.
// The default output modes are processed and wrap at EOL
while (1)
{
if (!WriteFile(
hStdout, // output handle
lpszPrompt1, // prompt string
lstrlenA(lpszPrompt1), // string length
&cWritten, // bytes written
NULL) ) // not overlapped
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(WriteFile), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
if (! ReadFile(
hStdin, // input handle
chBuffer, // buffer to read into
255, // size of buffer
&cRead, // actual bytes read
NULL) ) // not overlapped
break;
if (chBuffer[0] == 'q') break;
}
// Turn off the line input and echo input modes
if (!GetConsoleMode(hStdin, &fdwOldMode))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(GetConsoleMode), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
fdwMode = fdwOldMode & ~(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT | ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT);
if (!SetConsoleMode(hStdin, fdwMode))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(SetConsoleMode), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
// ReadFile() returns when any input is available.
// WriteFile() is used to echo input.
NewLine();
while (1)
{
if (! WriteFile(
hStdout, // output handle
lpszPrompt2, // prompt string
lstrlenA(lpszPrompt2), // string length
&cWritten, // bytes written
NULL) ) // not overlapped
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(WriteFile), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return 1;
}
// If not read from standard input, max 1 byte to read
if (!ReadFile(hStdin, chBuffer, 1, &cRead, NULL))
break;
// If carriage return
if (chBuffer[0] == '\r')
NewLine();
// If not write to standard output
else if (!WriteFile(hStdout, chBuffer, cRead, &cWritten, NULL))
break;
else
NewLine();
// If character 'q'
if (chBuffer[0] == 'q')
break;
}
// Restore the original console mode.
SetConsoleMode(hStdin, fdwOldMode);
// Restore the original text colors.
SetConsoleTextAttribute(hStdout, wOldColorAttrs);
}
// The NewLine function handles carriage returns when the processed
// input mode is disabled. It gets the current cursor position
// and resets it to the first cell of the next row.
void NewLine(void)
{
if (!GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(hStdout, &csbiInfo))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return;
}
csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.X = 0;
// If it is the last line in the screen buffer, scroll the buffer up
if ((csbiInfo.dwSize.Y-1) == csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.Y)
{
ScrollScreenBuffer(hStdout, 1);
}
// Otherwise, advance the cursor to the next line
else csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition.Y += 1;
if (! SetConsoleCursorPosition(hStdout, csbiInfo.dwCursorPosition))
{
MessageBox(NULL, TEXT(SetConsoleCursorPosition), TEXT(Console Error), MB_OK);
return;
}
}
void ScrollScreenBuffer(HANDLE h, INT x)
{
SMALL_RECT srctScrollRect, srctClipRect;
CHAR_INFO chiFill;
COORD coordDest;
srctScrollRect.Left = 2;
srctScrollRect.Top = 2;
srctScrollRect.Right = csbiInfo.dwSize.X - x;
srctScrollRect.Bottom = csbiInfo.dwSize.Y - x;
// The destination for the scroll rectangle is one row up.
coordDest.X = 0;
coordDest.Y = 0;
// The clipping rectangle is the same as the scrolling rectangle.
// The destination row is left unchanged.
srctClipRect = srctScrollRect;
// Set the fill character and attributes.
chiFill.Attributes = FOREGROUND_RED|FOREGROUND_INTENSITY;
chiFill.Char.UnicodeChar = ' ';
// Scroll up one line.
ScrollConsoleScreenBuffer(
h, // screen buffer handle
&srctScrollRect, // scrolling rectangle
&srctClipRect, // clipping rectangle
coordDest, // top left destination cell
&chiFill); // fill character and color
}
Build and run the project. The following screenshot is a sample output.
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